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The Stoic Billionaire’s Secret Family Exposed
img img The Stoic Billionaire's Secret Family Exposed img Chapter 4 4
4 Chapters
Chapter 7 7 img
Chapter 8 8 img
Chapter 9 9 img
Chapter 10 10 img
Chapter 11 11 img
Chapter 12 12 img
Chapter 13 13 img
Chapter 14 14 img
Chapter 15 15 img
Chapter 16 16 img
Chapter 17 17 img
Chapter 18 18 img
Chapter 19 19 img
Chapter 20 20 img
Chapter 21 21 img
Chapter 22 22 img
Chapter 23 23 img
Chapter 24 24 img
Chapter 25 25 img
Chapter 26 26 img
Chapter 27 27 img
Chapter 28 28 img
Chapter 29 29 img
Chapter 30 30 img
Chapter 31 31 img
Chapter 32 32 img
Chapter 33 33 img
Chapter 34 34 img
Chapter 35 35 img
Chapter 36 36 img
Chapter 37 37 img
Chapter 38 38 img
Chapter 39 39 img
Chapter 40 40 img
Chapter 41 41 img
Chapter 42 42 img
Chapter 43 43 img
Chapter 44 44 img
Chapter 45 45 img
Chapter 46 46 img
Chapter 47 47 img
Chapter 48 48 img
Chapter 49 49 img
Chapter 50 50 img
Chapter 51 51 img
Chapter 52 52 img
Chapter 53 53 img
Chapter 54 54 img
Chapter 55 55 img
Chapter 56 56 img
Chapter 57 57 img
Chapter 58 58 img
Chapter 59 59 img
Chapter 60 60 img
Chapter 61 61 img
Chapter 62 62 img
Chapter 63 63 img
Chapter 64 64 img
Chapter 65 65 img
Chapter 66 66 img
Chapter 67 67 img
Chapter 68 68 img
Chapter 69 69 img
Chapter 70 70 img
Chapter 71 71 img
Chapter 72 72 img
Chapter 73 73 img
Chapter 74 74 img
Chapter 75 75 img
Chapter 76 76 img
Chapter 77 77 img
Chapter 78 78 img
Chapter 79 79 img
Chapter 80 80 img
Chapter 81 81 img
Chapter 82 82 img
Chapter 83 83 img
Chapter 84 84 img
Chapter 85 85 img
Chapter 86 86 img
Chapter 87 87 img
Chapter 88 88 img
Chapter 89 89 img
Chapter 90 90 img
Chapter 91 91 img
Chapter 92 92 img
Chapter 93 93 img
Chapter 94 94 img
Chapter 95 95 img
Chapter 96 96 img
Chapter 97 97 img
Chapter 98 98 img
Chapter 99 99 img
Chapter 100 100 img
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Chapter 4 4

The front door of the estate opened with a heavy, ominous click.

Elenore stood by the fireplace in the living room. She had showered and changed into a cream-colored dress, applying concealer to hide the dark circles under her eyes. She stood perfectly still, a statue in a museum of cold wealth.

Cedrick walked in. He tossed his keys onto the marble console table. The metal skittered across the stone surface, a harsh sound in the quiet house.

He didn't look at her immediately. He checked his watch. "Vance called me."

Elenore's stomach tightened. She interlaced her fingers to stop them from trembling. "I signed the paper, Cedrick."

"I know." He finally turned to her. His face was unreadable, a mask of calm authority. "She was becoming a liability. Too emotional. I fired her."

Elenore blinked, the shock momentarily overriding her fear. "You fired her? Because she hurt me?"

Cedrick laughed. It was a short, sharp sound, devoid of humor. "No, Elenore. Don't be naive. I fired her because she let you slap her. It shows weakness. An executive assistant cannot be weak."

He walked closer, his shoes clicking on the hardwood. "And she threatened the medical account without my authorization. That is my leverage, not hers. No one wields my weapons but me."

He stopped in front of her. He reached out and tilted her chin up. His fingers were cool. He inspected her face, turning it side to side as if looking for flaws in a diamond.

"You look tired," he said clinically. "Take a vitamin B complex. Pale skin doesn't photograph well."

He dropped his hand and walked past her toward the stairs.

The dismissal was so absolute, so casual, that Elenore felt something snap.

"I want a divorce, Cedrick."

The words hung in the air, suspended in the dust motes.

Cedrick stopped on the third step. He didn't turn around. His hand rested on the banister.

"Read the prenup, Elenore," he said, his voice bored. "Clause 14, Section B. You initiate separation, you forfeit all spousal support. The funding for Pinecrest stops the moment you file."

"I have evidence," Elenore lied. Her voice shook, betraying her.

Cedrick turned slowly. He looked down at her from the height of the stairs, a god looking at an ant. "Evidence of what? My philanthropy? My work ethic?"

"Julianna," Elenore said. "Penny."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. Cedrick's eyes narrowed. The mask slipped, just for a fraction of a second, revealing something dangerous underneath.

He descended the stairs, moving silently now. He walked until he had her cornered against the mantelpiece. He smelled of sandalwood and the city.

"They are none of your concern," he said softly. "Penny is... a complicated situation."

"Is she yours?" Elenore asked, looking directly into his eyes.

"She is my responsibility," Cedrick said. "Just like you are. Just like the company is."

He reached out and brushed a stray hair from her forehead. Elenore flinched.

"Don't be hysterical," he murmured. "It's unattractive. You have a good life here, Elenore. Don't throw it away over a misunderstanding."

He stepped back, adjusting his cuffs, a subtle movement that reset his armor of composure. "By the way, your step-family is coming for dinner tomorrow."

Elenore felt the blood drain from her face. "What? Why?"

"Joseph needs money. Again. And I need a family photo op to quell some rumors circulating about my... private life. You will play the happy wife. You will smile. You will be gracious."

"And if I refuse?"

Cedrick smiled. It didn't reach his eyes. "Then I transfer Hazle to the state facility. Tonight. I'll have the ambulance waiting in the driveway before dessert is served."

He turned and walked up the stairs. "Dinner is at 7:00. Don't be late."

Elenore watched him go. When he disappeared onto the landing, she slid down the wall until she hit the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest.

Bluffing hadn't worked. He held all the cards. But he had made a mistake. He had confirmed Penny was his "responsibility." He had admitted, in his own twisted way, that the rumors were true.

Elenore stared at the fireplace. She needed a trap. A legal trap that even Cedrick Fields couldn't negotiate his way out of.

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